Hydrangeas: The ultimate flower guide for growing, flowering and cutting varieties for the home and gardening

by Naomi Slade

Underestimated for too long as just a shrub for cottage gardens, the hydrangea is experiencing a renaissance in floral design. Lavish and luscious, the often-giant blooms are the epitome of chic.

The next title in Pavilion’s series of beautiful floral gardening guides celebrates the ornamental charm and butterfly-like petals of the hydrangea.

This title celebrates the history and main varieties of the hydrangea, from its origins in China, Japan and Korea, to how they have taken over most gardens in the world. To this day, pink hydrangeas are popular in Asia, as they are given as love tokens, and most recently, a hydrangea hybrid won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Pavilion’s guide to the most beautiful varieties reveals their fascinating assets together with practical cultivation tips for any garden or container. Including delicate blooms such as the raspberry ripple Miss Soari and the beautiful Annabelle, to the full-on and fabulous Glam Rock and the weirdly wonderful Limelight.

With engaging commentary on each bloom, easy-to-follow advice and glorious photography, this book will appeal to everybody who is after the best bloom for weddings, gardens of any size, or looking for the most bountiful cut flowers.

Genres: Gardening

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2020

About the author

Naomi Slade is the author of Dahlias (Pavilion in the UK, Gibbs SMith in the US, 2018), An Orchard Odyssey (Green Books, 2016) and The Plant Lover’s Guide to Snowdrops (Timber Press 2014).

A lifelong natural historian, graduate biologist, former rock band manager and serial entrepreneur, she has won awards for designing both carnival floats and show gardens.

Her award-winning writing has featured in a wide range of newspapers and magazines including The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Financial Times, House and Garden, The Garden, The English Garden and Saga Magazine. She has covered gardens in France as well as the UK and contributed editorial on both sides of the Atlantic.

Interests include plants, people, botany, environment and design; science, social history and architecture. A good day off would involve swimming, skiing, climbing mountains, exploring new horizons or reading a really good book (someone else’s).